As well as the records we hold, we must also protect the environment and the institutions that sustain them. This research theme captures:

  • Our ambition to measure and reduce the environmental impact of our practice and of our physical and digital estate;
  • And to use the untold wealth of geographical, environmental, ecological and geospatial information within our collection to inform the future through understanding the past.

Our priorities are:

  1. How do we realise our collection’s potential to shape geographical, environmental and ecological histories, to inform a sustainable future?
  2. How can we measure and mitigate the environmental impact of our digital estate?
  3. How can we adapt our estate, practice and standards, to safeguard our collections in the most environmentally responsible way?
  4. How can we facilitate opportunities for future research, supporting the development of researchers at all career stages and cultivating an inclusive research culture across our organisation and our partnerships?
  5. Physical infrastructure: the state-of-the-art spaces, laboratories and repositories needed for the development, delivery and dissemination of cutting-edge research and scholarship.

Read the Research Vision 2024-27

Want to get involved with our Research Vision?

Contact us if you would like to work with us to explore any of the research questions or challenges above.